The White House revealed that there were no cancerous cells in five polyps removed from President Bush during a recent routine colon exam.
"The president is in good health," White House spokesperson Tony Snow said Monday. "There's no reason for alarm."Despite no cancer being found, doctors recommended that Bush undergo colonoscopy in every three years because polyps were discovered, he said.
"When you have the growth of polyps you want to just be very careful to keep your eye on what develops so that the patient, in fact, does not get into a position when you have to worry about it, " Snow said.
Bush, 61, underwent the colonoscopy at the presidential retreat of Camp David, Maryland, Saturday, during which he temporarily handed over power to Vice President Dick Cheney, the third time in US history that a president has handed presidential powers temporarily to his vice president.
This was the second time that Bush has ceded power to Cheney due to a colonoscopy. In June 2002, Bush handed over his power to Cheney for more than two hours during a routine colon screening.
Polyps are extra pieces of growths inside the large intestine. Most polyps are not dangerous, but over time, they can turn cancerous.
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